As always, TIME's editors will choose the Person of the Year, but that doesn't mean readers shouldn't have their say. Cast your vote for the person you think most influenced the news this year for better or worse. Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 12, and the winner of our reader poll will be announced on Dec. 13. TIME's Person of the Year will be announced Dec. 19

Ai Weiwei

By Emily RauhalaMonday, Nov. 26, 2012

Ed Jones / AFP / Getty Images

China's most famous living artist is also one of its most dogged political dissidents. After spending 81 days in detention last year, Ai Weiwei, 55, re-emerged unbowed, tangling with officials over a dubious $2.4 million tax bill and continuing to speak out against authoritarian rule. Ai's struggle against the state is itself becoming a form of performance art: because his passport was confiscated, he was unable to attend the Oct. 7 opening of a major retrospective of his art held at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. His absence generated headlines around the world, effectively turning a muzzle into an amplifier.